Healthcare workers must look beyond disabilities

Experiences of negative attitudes are a barrier to accessing healthcare

- LIEKETSENG NED

WORLDWIDE, there is a growing recognition that attitudes and misconceptions among healthcare providers remain barriers to healthcare for people with disabilities, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

These negative attitudes are significant obstacles to accessing quality healthcare, leading to misdiagnosis, overlooked health conditions, poor communication and unequal treatment. As we celebrate Casual Day tomorrow to show our support for the full inclusion and equity of people with disabilities, we should also pay attention to this important issue.

This year’s theme, “Beyond the Label: Embracing Unity Through Inclusion and Diversity”, encourages people (including health practitioners) to look beyond the stereotypes and afford people with disabilities the humanity they deserve rather than defining them by their disabilities.

Serving as a South African consultant, we at the Division of Disability and Rehabilitation Studies (DDRS) at Stellenbosch University, in partnership with Special Olympics South Africa (SOSA), used the Missing Billion Inclusive Health System Framework - anew tool to help policy makers assess levels of disability inclusion within country health systems.